Andy wrote:
On May 18, 1:28 pm, Kurt Ullman wrote:
In article ,

"chaniarts" wrote:

yes. i have a 7.7kw array. i just signed up with a new insurance
agent this month. when asked, they said that having a pv install
had no difference on the cost of house insurance.

That's because currently there are so few of them that it is cheaper
to pay the claims than do the extra underwriting. I expect that to
change within the next 5 years.


Andy adds:
Another think I just though of.... Most likely one has to get a
building
permit in order to have a system installed. That means that the tax
man
knows of the addition, and, since it adds to the value of the house,
the system will be taxed.... Around here the rule of thumb is that
the
yearly taxes run about 2% of the value, so that's 2% per year for the
life of the system...... and I'll bet they goose the asset value up
each
year just like they do the house......

there were both building permits from the town, and paperwork from the power
company to be able to tie into the grid. that part has to be done by an
electrician approved by the power company, who came out and inspected twice
during my install, and they were also the one to install the secondary
meter.

valuation of houses for tax purposes, in my area, go by area of the house,
area of the lot, type of nearby houses, outbuildings, pools, and general
finish compared to houses built near that time in that area. they don't
account for pv installs.

Andy in Eureka, Texas

PS to "chainiarts" ---- How much did your 7.7Kw system cost and
who is the manufacturer ? Did you get any
rebates?
Thanks.

my system 'cost' $44k. federal rebate of 30%. power company rebate of 50%.
state rebate of 2.2%. power company buyback is equal to cost (ie if i
generate 1kwh, it offsets the cost of 1kwh of grid draw). at the end of the
year, if i've generated more than usage, i get a credit for the following
year.

i am just completing 1 year of service in 2 weeks.

i have a computerized monitor on it, so have pretty complete data on it.

1.4mwh generated. highest peak is 6.7kw generated. highest daily peak is
54kwh.

my usual power bill is ~$1800/year. last 12 months it was $400, so $1400
saved. power company has filed for rate increases every year for the last 5,
and there's one to take affect this summer, so the savings will increase
every year.

payback time is about 4.5 years. without rebates, it's not financially
feasable.